1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to article carriers and, more particularly, to article carriers that are portable and that have a removable lid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a person is to carry a plurality of small articles, the person often employs a portable article carrier. There are articles, however, which require special handling in order not to damage them when being carried in the portable article carrier. For example, cupcakes generally have two major portions, a bottom cake portion and a top icing portion. When a plurality of cupcakes are carried in a portable article carrier, care must be taken so that the relatively delicate icing portions of the cupcakes are not damaged during transport. In this regard, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to carriers for cupcakes, and the following U.S. Pat. Nos. are representative of some of those innovations: 4,052,034, 4,446,982, 4,583,955, 4,694,961, and 4,844,243. All of the prior art cited above have a common feature. They disclose cupcake carriers that carry a plurality of cupcakes in a single layer.
When a large number of cupcakes are to be carried, if only a single layer of cupcakes are carried, the carrier may have to be quite large. To provide an efficient carrier, it would be desirable if a portable carrier for cupcakes could carry a plurality of cupcakes in a plurality of layers.
However, great care must be exercised in carrying cupcakes in plural layers because the delicate icing portions of cupcakes in a lower layer may be damaged by overlying bottom cake portions of cupcakes in an overlying layer of cupcakes. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable carrier for cupcakes were provided which prevents the delicate icing portions of cupcakes in a lower layer from being damaged by overlying bottom cake portions of cupcakes in an overlying layer of cupcakes.
Still other features would be desirable in a portable article carrier that is especially useful for carrying food items such as cupcakes. For example, to keep out pests, it would be desirable if the portable article carrier could be fully enclosed when not being accessed. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable article carrier had a lid which includes a handle which permits easy removal and replacement of the lid.
To protect a layer of underlying articles from being damaged by a overlying layer of articles, it would be desirable if a portable article carrier were provided which provides a protective cover for underlying articles. To provide a device which optimizes the functional utility of component parts, it would be desirable if a protective cover for a lower layer of articles could also serve as a carrying floor for an upper layer of articles. To facilitate removal of a combined cover/floor from an article carrier, it would be desirable if the cover/floor were provided with a handle which permits easy lifting and lowering of the combined cover/floor.
To provide a portable article carrier that is lightweight and easy to clean, it would be desirable if the portable article carrier were made from lightweight and washable plastic materials.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use portable article carriers, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a portable article carrier apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) can carry a plurality of articles, such as cupcakes, in a plurality of layers; (2) prevents the delicate icing portions of cupcakes in a lower layer from being damaged by overlying bottom cake portions of cupcakes in an overlying layer of cupcakes; (3) can be fully enclosed when not being accessed; (4) has a lid which includes a handle which permits easy removal and replacement of the lid; (5) provides a protective cover for underlying articles; (6) provides a protective cover for a lower layer of articles which can also serve as a carrying floor for an upper layer of articles; (7) provides a cover/floor with a handle which permits easy lifting and lowering of the combined cover/floor; and (8) is made from lightweight and washable plastic materials. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique portable article carrier apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.